Vidhya Nair
In the third week of May, Apsaras Arts presented an in-depth discussion on the making of Anjaneyam– Hanuman’s Ramayana - Aravinth Kumaraswamy in conversation with Chitra Sundaram, dancer/choreographer and theatre personality based in London. This session was hosted by @samarpanafortheartsandwellbeing and received an interactive audience who also engaged in Q&A with Aravinth. Chitra posed candid questions on the making of the mega-production Anjaneyamfrom the genesis of the idea, the text references and how the story came to be scripted. She also asked about the theatrical techniques employed and how Bharatanatyam came to be combined with Balinese dance. They shared many interesting anecdotes about bringing legendary dancers VP Dhanajayan and C K Balagopal who played sage Valmiki and the elder Hanuman respectively. Aravinth also shared his experiences on working with Esplanade, one of the prestigious venues in Singapore. Link: https://youtu.be/lUm2rZOGl80
Shukran: A Tribute to Singapore’s Migrant Workers was an initiative by Kathak dancer, Sunena Gupta to create community awareness and outreach through dance. Apsaras Arts’s Kathak dancer/choreographer, Shivangi Dake Roberts performed a segment in the third episode of this five-part series on the theme Fizaa- Tropical Paradise. Her performance was received well among Kathak enthusiasts in Singapore Link: https://youtu.be/6OYmHzjjlgs
Aalaap Concepts, presented, Home Sketches@Aalaapconcepts with dancer Mohanapriyan Thavarajah. Aalaap’s theme of Home Sketches featured six dancers reflecting on the idea of home. A place of refuge, an abstract space filled with emotion, feelings and memories. This session saw Mohanapriyan engage in a conversation with Aalaap’s founder-director, Akhila Krishnamurthy; he shared his memories of growing up in Srilanka, his education in South India and his professional move to Singapore which led to his eventual growth as a dancer. He then presented a short abhinaya divinity piece that called upon oneness with the Almighty as an ode to being called back home.
22-25th May – TWOgether Season II@AalaapConcepts. A collaboration with Apsaras Arts
Season II of TWOgether featured six pairs of dances from Singapore and India presenting contrasting classical dance forms. In the first three sessions, Bharatanatyam dancers from Singapore and France faced up to a Mohiniattam, Manipuriand Kandyan dancer.
Each performance was unique as each pair showcased aspects of their dance forms in varied ways – by their song choices, nritta items, explanations on the characters they often create in their solo work. The audience was able to interact and pose questions. Most cited the key challenges they faced which included navigating the technology of Instagram, time lag in music and expressions and getting to know an overseas partner and finding a common working ground in under a week, yet appreciated the opportunity this concept offered them to sharpen their own skills. From the audience perspective especially in Singapore, the artforms intricacies and interactions with Mohiniattam, Manipuri and Kandyan dancers are extremely rare to see and hear up close. This collaborative concept allowed for intimate interaction with these dancers – their thought process and their willingness to adapt and find comradery with an overseas Bharatanatyam exponent.
· Launch of SISTIC Live – Anjaneyam : 24 to 31 May
Apsaras Arts was invited to be part of a joint showcase by Singapore’s Esplanade, Theatres by the Bay and SISTIC ( largest ticketing platform in Singapore) for a Live Production feed that enabled three Singapore made productions from the Chinese, Malay and Indian genres in this inaugural digital feature.
The production, Anjaneyam – Hanuman’s Ramayana which premiered for a single show in November 2017 as part of Esplanade’s annual Kala Utsavam Festival is part of this prestigious feature.
In the last four days, a substantial number of tickets have been applied for from both Singapore and overseas patrons to watch the entire production in the comfort of their homes with surround sound and brilliant stage production and artistic craft. Patrons can avail these tickets at no cost or offer to pay a nominal donation which will go to support Apsaras Arts during this pandemic downturn.
For information on Anjaneyam, behind the production.
To download the ticket link to watch Anjaneyam till 31 May 2020